The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-04-23

haste with the form of female in
mourning, which he was not long in
recognizing, hanging on his shoulder,
stretching her hands back in silence to-
wards the house, and struggling VIC
lently, but very vainly. When they
came near, he perceived the occasion of
her silence. A heavy cotton handker-
chief was tied over her mouth.
.'Loose the gag, now, Awney," ex:.
claimed Suil Dhuv-'' nobody will hear
her squalls now. ''Stay, I'll do it my
self.'' And setting down his wr9tched
prey, he slipped the knot of the hand
kerchief, as the turgid and blackening
face and staring eye of the prisoner ad
vertised him of the necessity of using
some expedition. The instant the OBJ
struction was removed, a shrek, as
wild and piercing as female terror ever
uttered, burst from the disfranchised
throat, and died away in the horrid
gurglings of suffocation, as the ruf6an,
startled by the sound, griped the poor
girls throat hard, cursed, swore at her,
and even had the brutality to clench
his rough fist, and raise it as if to
strike her on the face.
"Come, gil me the horse here, Nancy.
Be silent, warn you, if you value your
life!"
II do not value it, rufian'' she ex-
claimed, renewing her cries for assist
ance-"I will not stir! Stand back,
coward and villain that you are! o,
have 1 no friends in hearing? Am l
quite deserted? o Heaven. hear mel"
"Here, put this loody about you, miss,
and be quiet, that's what you'll do"
said Suil Dhuv, attempting again to
force her on the horse, while the animal
becoming FESTIVE at the fearful sounds
with which his ears were assailed, in
creased his difficulty and his iwpat-
fence.
Lilly Byrne!'' exclaimed the exas-
perated Coiner, lido you remember the
note that warned you from the sally
grove. tits the same friend that wishes
to save you now."
II want no friendship like this. If
danger threatens me. let me meet it by
my mothers side. If am to die, let
me perish under my own roof. I will
not stir from this! I will not 90 with
you'll"
ssYou shall. by Up
II will not stir! Help, Heaven! o
Heaven, do not forsake me now! Omy
Lord, whom I have served, must this
happen while your lightnings are about
us? o hear me, my last and first friend!
Do not forsake me; strike the rufian-
or strike me from his horrid grasp. Ha!
help-I am heard. They are coming
help-help!''
Heaven did hear her. A horseman
dashing furiously toward them through
the heavy rain, intercepted the flight of
the Coiner. 1t was Robert Kumba. He
sprung from his horse, and called in a
hoarse voice on his enemy to stand.
Lilly, recognising him, with a cry of
ioy, ran towards him with outstretched
arms.
A bullet from the holster pistol of the
Suil Dhuv was swifter in it's course
than she. The space was empty where
she should have found her lover, and
before she could distinctly comprehend
the accident which had occurred, the
arm Of the ruffian had again encircled
her waist.
Again she renewed her cries of fear
and agony, and again they were heard
and answered. The thick and husky
voice of man was heard at the upper
end of the field, Illuminating a volume
of threats at some person who obstruct-
ed his passage, and who, by the fierce
ness and loudness of her shrieks and
entreaties, showed that Lilly Byrne was
not the only female sufferer in the af-
fray. At the same instant James sue
ceeded in liberating himself from the
trammels in which Nancy had bound
him. He started to his feet-threw his
arms out from his shoulders as if to as
sure himself of his recovered freedom,
then, by way of an Introductory feat to
the exploits which he meditated, he
clenched his fist, capered into the air
with ''Hoop! whishk!" and descending
with the whole weight of his person
upon the gaping and astonished gold
finder, bestowed him a blow on the
temple that speedily rendered him in
different to the whole affair.
While he paused, a little awe-struck
by the elevated pistol of the Suil Dhuv,
the strugglers in the dark approached
more near. The Coiner grew pale and
red by turns as he recognised the
voices.
"The very graves will give up their
dead to save you after this" he ex-
claimed. II believe you're charmed.
No matter. 1t was well I took care of
the pistols and ammunition. Up! in
spite Of
''Drag-tear her from mel" roared
%l,o Dolot;no oo11inn m 1onooc xuho u,oo